Darkest Hours
by Sealgirl
Summary: (Standalone, and COMPLETE at last) Hank’s stay in the Grotto of Darkness has had a strange effect on him, and when conflict arises in the group, he makes one bad decision that has far-reaching consequences.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Can't think of anything clever at the moment, but you should have guessed by now that none of the characters belong to me, and I just enjoy writing about them.

CHALLENGE: "What if Hank was really a traitor? What if he really did turn traitor against the gang? What would happen? How?" : The Darkhaven Scroll of Challenge.

STORY: Set after the events in the episode 'Winds of Darkness' and is a stand-alone story. It has a harsher interpretation of Hank than the normal "Mr Perfect Leader". He has to have some faults, even if they are well hidden. Perhaps all he needs is a little push in the right direction.

RATING: PG-13.

* * *

**DARKEST HOUR**

**_When I counted out my Demons,   
Saw there was one for every day.   
_** **_With the good ones on my shoulder,   
I drove the other ones away._**

_**So if you ever feel neglected,   
**__**If you think that all is lost.   
**__**I'll be counting out my demons,   
**__**Hoping everything's not lost.**_

_ Coldplay: _Everything's Not Lost.

* * *

Chapter 1

'Aw, c'mon Hank! Tell us what it was like,' said Bobby the Barbarian. 'The Darkling had you in the Grotto for two whole days. Whadidya do?'

Hank the Ranger sighn"center">Chapter 1

'Aw, c'mon Hank! Tell us what it was like,' said Bobby the Barbarian. 'The Darkling had you in the Grotto for two whole days. Whadidya do?'

Hank the Ranger sighed again. Bobby had been pestering him on and off for hours about this. He just wouldn't believe that nothing odd had happened.

'Look,' he said with the faintest hint of a huff, 'there's nothing to tell. I just sat around with the others, thinking.'

'Thinking?' said the Barbarian in a scornful tone. 'Whatya have to think about?'

'C'mon, Bobby, leave him alone for a while!' said his sister, Sheila the Thief. 'He can tell us later!'

Hank smiled at her, grateful she'd interrupted. He'd had a lot to think about; their life in the Realm, their choices, their friendships, all churning around inside his mind in an endless whirl of regret and fear. He shivered slightly. It hadn't been a pleasant wait for rescue.

'Besides,' the Ranger said, 'you haven't finished explaining how you found me.'

He looked round at the others. As well as Sheila and her brother, Presto and Eric were close by, all resting against the rocks. The other member of the group, Diana the Acrobat, was over by the fire with the unicorn, having insisted that she make them all dinner.

'Well, Martha told us where to look, at the Grotto of Darkness,' said Presto the Magician, eagerly taking up the story where they'd left off. 'And Eric came up with this plan, and...'

Hank couldn't help the look of surprise crossing his face.

'Yeah, I know!' said Bobby with a snigger. 'Eric having a plan! That wasn't running away!'

Hank glanced Eric the Cavalier as he sat close by, polishing his Shield. The boy didn't respond to the insult.

'It was going well,' continued Presto. 'Eric and Diana went to distract the Darkling and Sheila went to find you in the Grotto. The Hat worked this time,' Presto smiled more widely when he mentioned his weapon, 'it got some of that fog, but then Martha appeared. She was this light-bearer person Dungeonmaster was on about. She just touched the Darkling and poof!' Presto gestured with his hands, 'he was history!'

'Yeah,' drawled the Cavalier, pretending to be disinterested. 'I was sure glad when Martha showed up!'

The Magician nodded.

'But it was a pretty good plan. Even without Martha showing up, we could have taken the Darkling out, no problem! You should have seen the way Eric stood up to him, Hank!' The Magician put on a bad impression of the Cavalier and said: "Yes, Darkling, Martha sent us to put an end to you!" then looked proudly at his friend. Sheila looked too, and even Bobby had the hint of a grin on his face.

Presto grinned at the Cavalier. 'Hey, Eric, you can be a pretty good leader sometimes, you know.'

The Cavalier smiled self-consciously, a slight blush across his cheekbones, caught off-guard by the compliment.

'Th-thanks, Presto.'

There was a call from Diana, who was over by the fire with Uni gambolling about beside her.

'Hey Presto, can you and the Hat gimme a hand over here?'

He gave the Cavalier a friendly pat on the shoulder as he rose. Eric continued to smile as Presto walked off.

Hank watched Eric for a while, an unusual feeling inside. The Cavalier had been suspiciously quiet since Dungeonmaster had left and the Ranger stared at him in the fading light. Eric was usually the one to cause the problems, like that damn Box of Balefire. Yes, he'd asked permission, but if Eric hadn't been so nosy in the first place, none of that would ever have happened! He was a magnet for trouble!

Hank's glare turned to a scowl, burning anger growing slowly. But that wasn't really the problem this evening. Eric was the one who'd led them while he was gone. He'd stood up to Dungeonmaster and come to get him, not run away like he usually wanted too. And whatever Bobby thought, Eric had done a good job!

Hank shifted uncomfortably.

Yes, he was the leader. Everyone knew that. But sometimes he wondered if they still trusted him. There was that terrible time with the Cloud Bears. Yes, it was coercion, yes, he had a reason, but the looks on their faces still haunted him: and the name of Traitor. Eric had never really let them down. Well, he'd never let them down as badly as that! He might be short on courage, but at least he'd never conspired with the Orcs!

There were times, becoming more and more frequent, that Eric challenged his leadership. And each time, the challenge grew stronger. And now, he'd led them to victory over this Darkling! Eric was getting to be a problem.

Unsettled by his feelings, the Ranger stood up, ignoring the questioning looks from Bobby and Sheila.

_No, I mustn't think like that,_ he thought as he walked towards the edge of the clearing. _Eric's a friend, and we've all gotta stick together. How else are we gonna get home?_

But the uncomfortable feeling grew. What if he and Eric disagreed again? Presto was more likely that ever to side with the Cavalier. So was the Acrobat, he'd seen the few glances she'd given Eric. She was impressed with the way he'd handled the situation. Hank could tell; he and Diana had a good rapport.

Sheila might side with Eric too. OK, Hank knew that she would have followed him to the ends of the earth (or Realm) but if it was the right issue, and she was pushed, he didn't know which was she'd jump.

Bobby wouldn't willingly side with the Cavalier about anything, but he was only ten. And if Sheila sided with the others, Bobby might go to.

_What's got into me tonight?_ wondered Hank. _Why do I feel like this?_

He looked at the Cavalier, still silently polishing his Shield, and knew that instead of thinking the worst of Eric, he should be glad that his friend was finally showing signs of growing up.

'Hey, guys!' called Presto. 'I think we've got some food! Come and try it!'

In spite of the sick feeling, the Ranger turned back to his friends.

* * *

The next morning they moved off again, heading north as Dungeonmaster had told them. Hank said very little, but watched the others carefully. Presto and Eric walked together for most of the time, joking about something, and the two girls walked just behind. Bobby and his unicorn walked next to Hank at the back, not saying anything. 

The Ranger was grateful for the silence. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night. Every time he closed his eyes he couldn't stop the whirl of fear and regret in his mind, remembering the Cloud Bears, or when they had helped Dekkion in the tower of the Celestial Knights, or when they'd destroyed the portal in the Maze of Darkness.

They'd had so many chances to get home. It wasn't fair, they should have been home a hundred times before now. The long, sleepless night had helped harden the resolve inside Hank. The next portal they saw, they were gonna get back home, no matter what! Nothing was gonna stop them!

He should have realised that life in the Realm just doesn't work like that.

It was Eric who found the Orcs as they were resting by one of the streams. He'd gone off to find some wood (after a short argument with Bobby) and, surprisingly, the Cavalier hadn't gone charging in, making a huge fuss and noise and gotten himself captured. Instead, he'd come back and told the group what he'd seen.

At first Hank was reluctant to believe him, after all Eric was not the most reliable of scouts; two Orcs tended to become twelve Orcs, and things like that. But Sheila had volunteered to go and check, and come back with exactly the same story, adding that they'd been talking about going to guard something very secret and very important for Venger.

Now, how could they not follow and find out?

They trailed the Orcs through the forest and across the grasslands to a narrow, closed valley. There, as well as a few more Orcs, they'd found a portal, locked behind a glowing silver gate: A real portal to their home, just waiting for them.

No one had spoken as they retreated to a safe distance. But the Ranger could see the looks of excitement on each of his friends' faces. Hope was in his own heart again. After the disaster with the Darkling, they had another chance to get home. He smiled, and was about to speak. But the Cavalier got there first.

'This is obviously a trap,' said Eric bluntly. 'There are so few Orcs, it can't be this easy!'

The others were looking at him, waiting for a response and Hank opened his mouth to reply. Inside, the Ranger there was a tiny voice of doubt, and for a split second he wavered.

There were only two choices: "Yes. He's right" or "No. He's wrong". _Could they be sure_? _Was Eric actually right for once_? But that thought ignited the anger inside him and Hank scowled at the Cavalier, the troubled and distrustful feeling returning at full force. Trust Eric to be so damn negative. This was a chance, a good chance, so why did he have to whine all the time?

'No, you're wrong!' said Hank in a voice that was almost a growl. 'And I have an idea. We'll go in, me and Eric will create a diversion on one side of the valley, and make sure the Orcs all come across. You will all be way across at the other. Presto will magic up some sorta trap for them in the middle, and as they move to get Eric, they'll all be caught. Bobby, you can then get a clear shot at opening that gate.'

'What about us, Hank?' asked Diana, pointing at herself and the Thief. 'What will we do?'

He smiled widely at her, the perfect image of his plan forming in his mind. It wasn't bad for an off-the-cuff idea!

'You'll go with Bobby, as the extra diversion,' he said. 'You can lead them on and jump over the trap. And Sheila can lure them too, then disappear.'

They all began talking excitedly about his plan, and the chance of getting home, all except Eric, who watched the others with a superior sneer. He let them talk for a short while before saying loudly:

'This will never work!' He looked round at his now silent friends. 'You can't possibly think that this is gonna work! Come on!'

'What's wrong, smart guy?' asked Bobby, planting his Club on the ground and looking belligerently up at the Cavalier. 'I don't see you coming up with a better plan!'

Eric pointed a finger in the young boy's face.

'It doesn't matter if I can think of a plan, Shorty! The point is Hank's plan is not gonna work!'

The Ranger saw the two girls exchange worried glances, and Presto was looking up at Hank nervously. The anger inside the Ranger was suddenly at breaking point, as if someone had just turned on a switch. The speed and ferocity of his own fury surprised him, but there was no chance to rationalise the feeling. He glared at the Cavalier as the Barbarian continued.

'You're mad that Hank though of a better plan that you!' said Bobby. 'Admit it!'

'No!' hissed Eric. 'It's just a dumb plan!'

The Ranger couldn't stop a bitter scowl crossing his face as the Cavalier turned from Bobby to face him.

'It's a dumb idea, Hank!' snapped Eric. 'I know a dumb idea when I meet one, and that is as dumb as they get!'

They squared off, the other four and the unicorn standing slightly back, looking anxious. The Ranger glared at Eric, suddenly realising how tall the Cavalier had become. He even looked like a leader now, his head flicked back arrogantly, his shiny yellow Shield on his arm. And for the first time in a long, long, LONG time, Hank felt like giving the Cavalier a good, hard smack in the mouth.

'Your wrong,' said Eric more loudly. 'It's dumb! Ol' Horn-Head would never leave a portal guarded as badly as that! Never in a million years!'

The Ranger tightened his grip on the Bow, his heart beating very fast and the dark anger inside building to a peak. _Where had all this anger come from?_ he wondered for just a second. Then the anger took control.

'I'm the leader, Cavalier,' he spat, using the title as an insult. 'And what I say goes!'

Hank could see Eric thinking. He was weighing up the pros and cons, wondering if he could push any further. The Cavalier glanced at the others.

'I said "I'm the leader",' growled Hank, taking a step closer to the other boy. 'You gotta problem with that, Cavalier?'

Eric was fuming, the Ranger could recognise all the signs by now. But Eric just shook his head tersely.

'No,' he muttered. 'No, I haven't. But it's still a dumb plan!'

'It doesn't matter what you think, you're going anyway!' snarled Hank.

Diana took a tiny step forward.

'Look, Hank,' she said quietly. 'Are you sure?'

There was a cold, sick feeling in his stomach and he looked angrily round at his friends. They didn't trust him any more; Eric had turned the others against him!

'Yes!' he said firmly. 'Yes, very sure! I'm telling you guys, if we all work together, we're gonna get home!'

He looked round at the others, they were all looking worried. He couldn't let them delay. They mustn't have the opportunity to dwell on failure. They had to go. They had to get home.

'More Orcs are probably on their way here,' he said. 'We've go the chance, and we've gotta take it! C'mon guys, don't you trust me?'

The question hung in the air, and every second of silence that past made Hank more furious and frightened.

'Of course we trust you, Hank,' Sheila said, looking round at the group. 'It's just, it's dangerous.'

Eric gave a quiet snort.

'This plan sucks,' he muttered.

'But we're gonna do it,' said the Ranger. 'We do it, and we'll get home!'

He looked round at the others one by one. Sheila nodded immediately, perhaps sensing his insecurity, and Bobby followed. Then Presto nodded, and finally Diana.

Hank looked sternly at Eric, always the last to agree to anything.

'Well? You in?'

The Cavalier crossed his arms sulkily and didn't reply.

The Ranger didn't give them time to wait and gave them orders quickly. So, less than an hour later, he and Eric were crouched at one side of the valley, hidden behind some boulders. They hadn't spoken since they left the others, and Hank was silently cursing his choice of companion. The others were out of sight, waiting further across the valley close to the locked portal.

They had been watching the Orcs mill around in front of the gate. More had already arrived and more tents had been put up. They didn't seem to be doing anything in particular, just waiting.

Beside him, the Cavalier was fiddling with the buckles on the back of his Shield. Hank frowned, knowing Eric was nervous. A few more Orcs had appeared, tired and dusty from the journey. But they were bigger than the others, with thick armour and heavy clubs. Hank heard Eric gulp. They had better get on with it before the Cavalier's nerve gave out altogether.

'You ready?' he asked the boy beside him.

The Cavalier turned, a serious expression on his face; not an expression Hank had seen very often.

'Look, Hank,' said Eric. 'I know you and I don't always agree, but this is bad news. Let's get outta here while we still have the chance!'

Hank grabbed his arm, the same uncontrollable anger inside again. There was something about Eric today that just brought out the worst in him.

'We stay, and we do what we came here to do,' the Ranger said firmly. 'And no arguments.'

Again they looked eye to eye, and Hank could sense the Cavalier's resentment. But Eric looked away first, yanking his arm out of Hank's grip with a surly humph.

'Fine,' he muttered. 'But it's still dumb! When Venger has all our weapons, don't come crying to me!'

Hank ignored him, concentrating the Orc soldiers instead. They were running out of time. They had to get on with it. They had to get home.

'Please, Hank, this isn't gonna work,' said Eric. 'I'm not going down there on my own!'

The Ranger scowled. That was the real reason: cowardice.

'It will work just fine if you just shut up and get on with it,' he snapped. 'I'm sick of everyone questioning me, so stop acting like a goddamn coward and go!'

Eric blanched at the insult. But he suddenly stood up and walked towards the tents.

Hank watched him go with an awful sinking feeling. What a terrible thing to say! He hadn't meant it, not really. He was just angry and unsettled, and sick of Eric arguing with him all the time.

The Ranger rubbed his eyes, overwhelmingly tired of the whole thing. He would apologise when they got home, and Eric would understand when they were safely eating pizza again. But they had to get home, they had to get away from this awful place as fast as they could. The longer they stayed the worse this feeling would get.

_Home._ How good it would be to get home. To see his Mom and Dad, and his friends from school. To relax, not fight for his life all the time. What he wouldn't give to get home this time. He would do almost anything.

There was a desperate shout from below that roused his from his fantasies. As he looked up, Hank's feelings changed instantly from cosy optimism to utter despair.

Just as Eric had predicted, Venger was expecting them. The tents had been pulled down suddenly, and where there had been fifty Orcs, there was now five hundred at least, all armed with clubs and scimitars.

And the Cavalier was surrounded, hopelessly outnumbered and in serious trouble, even with his Shield to protect him.

The Ranger froze, staring at the scene before him. He watched numbly as the Cavalier tried to retreat. But the Orcs had the strength of numbers and eventually Eric was hit across the shoulders by a club and he stumbled to his knees, letting his guard down. Hank still hadn't moved. The Bow was still in his hand, but there was no arrow. He heard sudden shouts of terror from the others at the other side of the valley, but he couldn't see what was happening. Then Presto called out desperately for help.

The Ranger looked down at Eric as his Shield was torn from his arm. The Orc Captain struck the Cavalier and he fell to the ground, blood coming from his nose.

_This isn't supposed to happen_, thought Hank as he stood. _It's all gone wrong!_

Eric saw Hank move and looked up, pleading terror in his eyes. But the Ranger didn't wait. Eric was beyond help. Any fool could see that. But as the leader, Hank had a responsibility; he had to see if the others were alright. And the others came first.

I can't risk capture too, thought Hank. I can't risk it. The others needed me.

The Captain raised his club as Hank turned away, a scream of pain and terror from the boy below ringing in his ears.

He ran.

His friends were waiting for him on the far side of the valley, well away from the Orcs and the portal. They were all silent, bloody and scraped. And without their Cavalier. He tried to focus, telling himself that they were safe, they were still safe for the moment, but it didn't help.

'What happened Hank?' whispered Sheila, after a long silence. 'What went wrong?'

He couldn't stop shaking, and every time he closed his eyes, he could see the look of terror and amazement on Eric's face as the Orc had struck. He could hear the scream as solid wood hit flesh and crushed bone. Dear God, what had he done?

The others were looking at him, eyes wide. He felt a surge of fear. They weren't going to trust him. This fiasco was his fault, and they were never going to trust him again if they knew what he'd done.

Diana put a calming hand on his shoulder.

'It's OK Hank, no one blames you. But you have to tell us what happened. And where's Eric?'

The Ranger shuddered, the sick feeling doubling in intensity at the Acrobat's kind words. He still couldn't speak. What was he going to say to them?

The Barbarian was looking round the group, obviously confused, holding the terrified unicorn close.

'Did Eric blow it?' asked Bobby. 'Again?'

Hank couldn't move for long seconds. His heart was thumping. If his friends knew the truth they'd never trust him and he had to keep them together. Should he lie?

_What does it matter now, anyway?_ whispered a voice in the back of his mind. _The Cavalier's gone and they're better not knowing. _

Hank couldn't look any of them in the eye, but gave the tiniest of nods.

'Yes,' he whispered. 'Yes. It was Eric's own fault.'


	2. Chapter 2

**When you thought that it was over,   
****You could feel it all around.   
****And everybody's out to get you,   
****Don't you let it drag you down.**

**So if you ever feel neglected,   
****If you think that all is lost.   
****I'll be counting out my demons,   
****Hoping everything's not lost.**

_Coldplay: _Everything's Not Lost.

* * *

Chapter 2

His four remaining friends just stared at him, each with identical looks on their faces: total shock. But their surprise was nothing compared to his own. What ever had possessed him to say something like that? For a second, Hank thought they wouldn't believe him, not after everything that had happened recently; they were never going to believe that Eric would...

'I knew it!' said Bobby with a growl, swinging the Club at a nearby rock and smashing it in two. 'I goddamn knew it!'

The outburst jolted the others back into reality.

'Bobby!' gasped Sheila. 'Don't say that!'

'Why not?' demanded the Barbarian. 'I told ya it would be Eric's fault! It couldn't be Hank's! The Darkling was just a fluke!'

'Bobby!' said his sister again. 'No! He wouldn't have...I mean, he can't have...because...Eric wouldn't.' She stopped, looking around at the others, imploring them to back her up, but neither Presto nor Diana spoke.

Hank just stared at the Thief, the anger increasing again the instant she'd said the Cavalier's name. What the Hell was going on here? Sheila? His Sheila? Defending Eric?

The Barbarian gave a snort. He seemed to think that the Cavalier had it coming, but the others didn't look so sure. Hank started to panic. Unpleasant "What-if's" raced through his head. What if they wanted to look for him? Worse, what if they found him!

_Don' t panic, _the Voice whispered in his mind. _They don't know anything. _

Diana had turned to stare at him, her eyes wide and glittering with tears.

'Hank, please! You've gotta tell us!' she said. 'What happened?'

But he couldn't think of anything to say. They trusted him at the moment. Whatever high (well high-ish) opinion they had of Eric after the Grotto, they still trusted their Ranger more. He was their leader, the one they could always rely on.

'Hank, it's OK,' repeated Diana, laying her hand tentatively on his shoulder. He nodded mutely. _Oh God, they're trying to make me feel better._

'What'll we do?' asked Presto, glancing at the two girls. It was the first time he'd taken his eyes off the Ranger since he'd met up with them. 'Do you think...?'

There was a distinctly uncomfortable silence.

'Who cares about the dumb Cavalier!' said Bobby suddenly. 'He shouldn't have been such a drip!'

'Anything could have happened to him,' said Sheila, her voice trembling. 'He could even be dead.'

The Barbarian opened his mouth to say something, by saw the glares from the other kids, and wisely shut it again. Hank saw Sheila turn away, tears gleaming in her eyes. Something inside hated himself for putting the Thief through this, she was so sensitive and caring, even to the most unworthy of people...

'But we can't stay here, guys,' continued Sheila. 'We have to find him. We have to know!'

Hank felt his stomach drop about two feet. If they did, they would find out what had happened, what had REALLY happened; that he, the Ranger, their Fearless Leader, and run away and abandoned one of his friends. Justification raced through Hank's mind, but it didn't make any difference. He'd turned, and run away, leaving Eric to the Orcs. _Oh God..._

And a tiny part of him was almost pleased that they wanted to help Eric. Who knows what would happen to him, in Venger's fortress? The Arch-Mage had a particular dislike of the Cavalier after that incident in Darkhaven.

Hank gulped. Sheila was right; anything could have happened, and the Cavalier was one of his friends, he couldn't just leave him to his fate!

Or could he? This time, the Voice in his head spoke much more clearly:

**_You've done it before._**

_Yes, but..._

'We have to find him,' Sheila was saying. Diana and Presto gave vague nods of agreement.

'But what about the portal,' asked Bobby, his tone still belligerent.

Hank's breath caught. The portal! How could he have forgotten the portal? They still had the chance to get home!

'Are you thinking we should go home without out him?' Sheila asked her brother sternly.

'Well, no, but...'

A strange kind of fear welled up inside Hank as he watched his friends. What were they thinking? This was Eric they were talking about: the stupid, dumb, infuriating and cowardly Cavalier. Was he really going to stand by and let them throw their freedom way on a boy as worthless as that?

**_Say something! _**whispered the voice. **_Anything!_**

'I...' said Hank suddenly, surprising the others, 'I don't think there's...anything...'

'I know Eric can be a jerk,' interrupted Sheila with a sniff. 'But we can't just go without trying to help!'

The conviction in her voice made Hank recoil in surprise. She really wanted to go find the stupid Cavalier, instead of just going home when they had the chance! Presto and Diana were looking expectantly at Hank, but the Ranger was suddenly beside himself with anger. Why couldn't they understand?

'Who was the one who didn't want to help Uni when Kelek caught her?' he demanded with a snarl. 'And who was the one who went off on his own instead of helping Dungeonmaster and defeating Warduke?'

The group was silent in shock at his outburst, but it was Sheila who recovered first

'That's not fair, Hank,' said the Thief. 'That was a long time ago. Eric's changed!'

Hank stared at her. How could she POSSIBLY be defending the stupid Cavalier, of all people! What was going on here? When had she become the Eric Montgomery Fan Club?

'What's gotten into you?' he hissed at her. 'This is Eric we're talking about!'

She just stared at him with tears in her eyes, and that made him all the more infuriated. How dare she even be sorry for the Cavalier! He was trouble, and Sheila of all people should be glad he was gone, considering all the teasing and insults. She was only saying it because she felt sorry for him; sorry that he was so weak, sorry that he was such a coward.

Hank's lip curled into a sneer. In that second, he hated the Cavalier more than he ever believed possible. Eric was the one that had caused all this. If he hadn't been so weak, none of this would have happened. If he hadn't been so annoying, so inconsiderate, so ... _right about the portal._

That quiet thought packed a real punch, and the Ranger suddenly gasped for breath as if he'd really been struck. Eric had been right! They shouldn't have gone near that portal...until they'd looked more closely. He'd tried to warn them, he'd...

_**The Cavalier was just looking out for himself**, _said the Voice soothingly. **_Just as he always did! _**Hank wanted to argue with the Voice, but he couldn't think of anything convincing to say. **_The Cavalier didn't know what would happen_**, continued the Voice. **_And none of this would have happened if he hadn't been such a coward!_**

Something very small, very deep inside the Ranger wasn't completely happy with that explanation, but it was easily ignored. Instead, Hank looked up at his friends. They were all staring; even Bobby was looking at him with an odd expression.

Confused, he looked round in amazement. Why were they looking at him like that; like HE was the one that had done something wrong? The silence grew, and Hank's discomfort grew with it. Eventually, it was too much to bear. He had to get away from the looks on their faces. He had to get some peace.

'I need...' he managed to say, his voice sounding choked. 'I need to be alone. I have to.'

Abruptly, he pushed himself up, noticing that Sheila made no move to stop him. He could here the others muttering as he walked off. But he kept going, walking well out of earshot before slumping down against a tree. He sat alone for a long, long time; anger and fear making his heart lurch every third beat. The Ranger could hardly believe what was happening.

_What are the others going to do?_ he wondered. But it was an unanswerable question, not even the Voice tried to reply.

Bobby, angry and defiant, was never going to trust the Cavalier over the Ranger; Hank was the equivalent of his Big Brother! Sheila had made her feelings pretty clear, but what about Presto? Or Diana? They were both close to Eric; Presto was his best friend, for Christ's sake.

The Ranger let his forehead rest in his hands, looking down at the pale green grass beside his boots.

What the Hell had happened? He should have known this was gonna happen. He should never have lead them into such an obvious trap. He should have known, he was the leader and he should have known!

_But Eric knew_, he thought.

And a flash of anger passed through him with all the strength and power of a lightning bolt, pushing away all reason and sense.

That goddamn Cavalier! All this was his fault, that stupid, reckless, thoughtless son-of-a-bitch! If he hadn't been so weak; if he hadn't been such a coward and given up at the first sign of trouble none of this would have happened! He'd folded like a paper hat the instant the Orcs had shown up, there had only been a few more than before, and Eric had a magic Shield! He shouldn't have been so pathetic!

**_Yesss!_** agreed the voice. **_The Cavalier deserved it!_**

Instantly, the memory of Eric's capture flashed through his mind. He could see the look of pain and shock on the other boy's face; see the blood trickling down over his lip; hear the crunch as a club connected with the armour.

_Deserved it?_ thought Hank in disbelief, surprised that he could wish that on anyone. _But...that isn't right! He was my friend and..._

**_And now he isn't,_** insisted the Voice, but it wasn't loud enough to swamp his confusion completely. _He is my friend and..._

'Hank?' called a female voice. 'Hank, you OK?'

The uncertainty vanished as the Ranger tried to focus on the girl walking through the forest towards him.

It was Diana.

In spite of the anxiety simmering in the back of his mind, Hank smiled as the Acrobat approached. He had known Diana for a long time. He respected her, he relied her, more so than any of his other friends, he knew he could trust Diana with anything. They had gone through school together, they had been friends for longer than he could remember. And she had turned to Hank for comfort, after Kosar.

Night after night for the weeks following their visit to Torad, she'd sat next to him, crying and talking. He'd listened, and he'd helped all he could. Sometime she would cry on his shoulder, taking solace from the strength in his arms.

He watched her walk towards him and the gnawing, indecisive guilt inside him grew worse. He knew she was as upset about Eric's capture as Sheila had been. Diana didn't always like Eric, but he was part of the team. The Cavalier had had a bit of a thing for her back at school, but they'd hardly ever spoken without the standard exchange of insults. Diana never suffered fools gladly, and certainly not rich, spoiled fools that shirked work and whined constantly. But somewhere along the line they had forged a quirky kind of friendship. Not as strong a friendship as she shared with him, but a friendship nevertheless.

She sat down beside him, so close that they touched arms. The Acrobat smiled, but didn't say anything. Tonight, much like all those tearful nights after Torad, they sat side by side in the failing light, not talking but giving and receiving comfort from the other's presence.

He trusted her, perhaps he could trust her with anything, no matter what the Voice of reason inside his mind said. But it took him a long time to pluck up the courage to try.

'Diana,' he whispered eventually. 'Something's happening. I...I just can't explain it.' He turned and looked across into her eyes, his own filling with tears. 'Help me...'

'Tell me what's wrong Hank,' she said. 'I'll help you any way you can, you know that.'

The kind smile on her face somehow managed to make him feel worse. **_You can't trust her,_** said the Voice suddenly, after a long period of being silent. **_Be careful what you say._**

'It's my fault,' he began. 'This isn't what I wanted...'

**_Be careful... _**

'You can't be responsible for everyone all the time,' she said, obviously trying to reassure him.

'No, Diana, that's not what I meant.'

'Hank, there's no shame in admitting you're human.'

'No, Diana. It is my fault, I should have...' But when it came down to actually saying it, he couldn't get the words out properly.

'...I should have helped him,' he continued lamely. Was that really all he could come up with? He'd left the Cavalier at the mercy of some extremely large and annoyed Orcs; he'd watched with a smile as the Orc Captain struck him; he'd run away instead of staying to help. How was he ever going to put that into words?

Diana grasped his arm, looking intently into his eyes. He could sense her need to help him, and he wanted her help, he wanted some peace from the shame and guilt. She was his friend.

'I'm sure you tried your best,' she said.

**_Be careful, don't tell her what you did!_**

'But Diana, I made this happen. This is all my fault.'

'We all believed the plan would work, Hank,' she said in response. 'We all tried our best, all of us, even you.'

Hank frowned, struggling not to become angry with her for trying to comfort him. She didn't understand and he couldn't tell her. It was just too hard, if only she would...

'What did Eric do that was so bad?' asked Diana suddenly.

The question can so unexpectedly that Hank just sat there gawping at her.

**_Don't tell her! She'll hate you! She'll tell the others and they'll hate you too!_**

'Eric...' he whispered, his mind full of the Cavalier's abrupt capture. _What did he do that was so bad?_

**_The Cavalier deserved it!_**

'...he...' murmured Hank, overwhelming guilt and shame flooding into the Ranger. Why couldn't he make her understand? He wanted to tell her what had happened, but he couldn't get the right words out. Diana gently took his hand.

'It's ok, Hank...' The Ranger struggled to breathe against the painful memories. It was never gonna be ok every again, not after what he'd done. **_Don't tell her!_** '...I know you tried your best to help Eric.'

It was like a match to a petrol can. Suddenly more angry than ever, he could barely think, let alone reason. He stood. **_Don't..._**

But Hank was so caught up in fury that he didn't hear anything else. He rounded on Diana.

'I left Eric deliberately!' he shouted at the startled Acrobat. 'I left him for the Orcs! I turned away and left! Deliberately! Do you understand! I HATE HIM!'

He was breathing hard. Diana was still sitting against the tree, her mouth open in shock. At least the stupid girl had shut up! At least she would stop saying all those things!

Then he looked into her eyes and understood what he'd done. He'd gone and said the one thing he wasn't going to say. He'd told her. How had he been stupid enough to get himself into this situation?

He watched as the words sank in, and a look at dismay crossed her face. He knew what was going to happen: She was going to tell the others. He'd been wrong. The Voice had been right, he should have been more careful.

Reacting by self-preservation rather than rational thought, he caught her arm, pulling her standing. She was fit and strong, but he was stronger. She just managed to scream before his hand closed over her mouth. Far away, or so it seemed, there were muffled shouts.

The others had heard her.

Cursing his slow reactions, he twisted her arm tightly behind her back, ignoring her struggles. There were only a few seconds to decide.

She knew. She was going to tell the others, and they would never trust him again.

Never.

Never-ever.

He shouldn't let her tell, he couldn't let them know...

**_You should kill her, _**whispered the persuasive Voice in his mind. **_All it would take was a little bit more pressure and ..._**

_No!_

**But she knows. She'll tell them. Just do it! Do it...do it...DO IT!**

_NO! Not Diana!!_

He suddenly shoved the girl to the ground, and started backing away, the voice in his head giving an angry hiss.

_This shouldn't be happening,_ Hank thought, looking down at the still form of the Acrobat. _This wasn't supposed to happen. If only they had stuck together, if only they had gone home..._

The Ranger let a growl slip out. They should have gone home!

**_Yes! YES! _**said the Voice. **_And why didn't you get home?_**

Hank shuddered, remembering the fiasco at the locked portal. That Cavalier deserved everything he got for causing all of this. This was all Eric's fault; he shouldn't have argued in the first place; he shouldn't have been such a coward and he shouldn't have given up so easily. It served him right to be captured by the Orcs.

A small, cruel flashed over Hank's face.

**_Yesss!_** hissed the voice. **_The damned Cavalier deserves everything he gets._**

* * *

Eric slumped gratefully down to his knees, taking short breaths and trying to make the most of the brief rest. The Orcs had decided to take a break from the march and were lounging by the riverside drinking and eating. They cast the occasional smirk at him, no doubt thinking of the future opportunities for making his life as miserable as possible. Ahead, a depressing number of miles away, was the dark and foreboding shape of yet another one of Venger's castles.

There was no doubt where they where taking him, and Venger would be no less companionable than the Orcs. The Cavalier was not looking forward to that meeting, but there was no point in being scared at the moment. Scared could wait, as there was no point in trying to think about what was going to happen next because, whatever it was, it was definitely going to be worse than this.

Even so, he'd never felt so wretched; all he could smell and taste was blood and had given up trying to keep list of the places he ached. The front of his breastplate was seriously dented, making breathing difficult and, underneath the dent, one, perhaps two of his ribs on the right side felt like they were broken. With his hands bound tightly behind his back, he'd lost most of the feeling in his lower arms; his shoulders ached where a club had hit him; and his legs felt like he had lead boots on.

With a grimace, he gave a painful sniff and coughed, spitting some of the blood from his mouth onto the ground beside him. Goddamned Orc Captain! It'd broken his nose too!

He let his eyes close for a few seconds, thinking bitterly that he had underestimated the Orcs. Individually, each had the keen intellect of a cardboard box and the speedy reactions of a dead snail, but together they could make a good job of brutalising the defenceless if they all made the effort.

Eric had tried not to think about his alarmingly easy capture, and so far it had worked; concentrating on getting one foot in front of the other had been enough to fill his pain-glazed mind.

But now the marching had stopped and there was relative calm, the Cavalier couldn't help going over it again; those few short seconds, just as he was captured. He had looked up, and seen Hank smiling, yes SMILING at his pain and fear, with a look of joyful glee on his face. And, though they might have had their differences in the past, the Cavalier was astute enough to realise that something was very, very wrong.

The others all trusted Hank implicitly; they had all agreed to that dumb plan in spite of his objections. But that wasn't the Ranger they all knew and as long as he was with them, the others were in danger.

Again, the Cavalier let his eyes close, unable to keep the worry at bay this time. What if this was just the start? What if one of the others disagreed with Hank? How far would the Ranger go? What would he do? Who would be next?

Eric choked back a small cry, trying not to attract attention, as worry gave way to bitter frustration. He was stuck here, helpless, with these damn Orcs, while the others were in major trouble!

Hank had changed; Hank might be capable of anything. And Eric had no way to warn them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Now I never meant to do you wrong -**  
**That's what I came here to say.  
****But if I was wrong; and I'm sorry  
****I don't let it stand in our way.**

'**Cos my head just aches when I think of  
****The things that I shouldn't have done.  
****But life is for living, we all know  
****And I don't want to live it alone.**

_Coldplay: _Everything's Not Lost.

* * *

Chapter 3

His head was aching like he had a hangover, and he was curled up under a tree. The light was beginning to fail as the grey afternoon turned to night. Hank pushed himself upright slowly and looked around. How long had he been here? Where was here anyway? Why was he alone? Why had the others abandoned him?

Silence stretched out all around him, he couldn't even hear the sounds of any wildlife. Only when loneliness was at its greatest, did he hear the Voice say:

_**I'm still here. And I'll never leave.**_

The Voice had a familiar, soothing tone. He knew it, and he liked it. That Voice knew him so well, it understood what he needed and wanted. It was his friend.

'Where am I?'

_**Safe, for the moment.**_

Hank frowned, trying to remember what had happened. It all seemed like a very long time ago, when he was living a different life. What had happened to the others?

**_The others turned their backs on you, _**said the Voice. **_You had to leave them._**

Hank still frowned, surprised that he would leave any of them, especially Sheila.

'What had they done?'

The Voice didn't answer immediately. But when it next spoke, its tone was soft and persuasive.

It was all the fault of the Cavalier. He was weak, he was a coward, and he paid the price. 

A memory flickered on the edge of his mind, seeing the Cavalier crouched fearfully behind a rock as they looked down on the Orc encampment. Behind him, the Portal shone like a beautiful star. _The way home, for all of them…_

But they weren't at home; they weren't back on Earth. An ugly snarl passed over Hank's face. That Cavalier, he'd caused this.

**_Yes! _**said the Voice.**_ This was all that Cavalier's fault!_**

A shudder passed through the Ranger as he remembered what happened next; the Cavalier's easy capture and the reaction of the others to the news. He could still remember the hurt in Sheila's voice as she asked what had happened. Damn that Cavalier for causing her so much pain.

The anger he'd felt as they'd talked returned. They didn't understand anything. They thought the Cavalier was worth rescuing. How could they think that? How!

**_They don't understand what happened, _**agreed the Voice.

But that wasn't quite right, he knew. One of them did, he'd tried to explain, tried to ease the burden of guilt and regret, and…

**_Why should you feel guilty? _**the Voice asked suddenly. **_You were only trying to help them. I wasn't you fault she didn't understand!_**

Hank couldn't answer. Why did he feel guilty for trying to protect his friends for the Cavalier's incompetence? He closed his eyes and thought back, he had left them talking and sat on his own for who knows how long. Then Diana had appeared.

His heartbeat quickened. He'd told her what had happened, and she'd screamed! He could suddenly remember how it had felt, holding her tightly in his arms as she'd struggled against him.

He'd had to run, he had no choice! They didn't understand what problems the Cavalier had caused! He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but what other option was there? They didn't understand what had happened, and they didn't realise what the Cavalier had done. The Voice was calm in response.

**_Considering the trouble he's caused, don't you think he should be dead?_** it asked bluntly.

_Dead?_ Was that what he really wanted? Dead was a big step…

_**You want to be rid of the Cavalier. Don't you?**_

Well, yes he did, in a way. Ever since they'd come to this hateful place all the Cavalier had done was cause trouble, and trying to list his faults was futile; there wasn't enough time to go through them all!

But…? 

But he'd teased Sheila to the point of tears. He'd opened the Box of Balefire, almost bring life in the Realm to an end. **_That was a big one._** It was his mouthy comments that had started their quest for the Dragon's Graveyard and all the problems that entailed. In Darkhaven, he'd screwed up getting them home, even with all that power! He'd been quick to turn on the Ranger in the Cloud Bears' forest; **_He doubted you first, didn't he?_** Had he even wanted to go and look for the Nightwalker and find Bobby? He had definitely wanted to leave Uni in the hands of Kelek. He'd been tucked up in a corner with Presto's Spiderman comic in the Prison of Agony, instead of trying to help them escape. He didn't figure out the riddle in time, and was stuck as a dumb Bogbeast, (_why did we come back with him? WHY?) _And he'd gone off on his own instead of helping Dungeonmaster against Warduke.

It all lead to one, inescapable conclusion.

The Cavalier wasn't worth the trouble!

He's not your friend, said the Voice firmly. If he was, he wouldn't have argued so much. He's not a team player. He was always only looking out for himself.

Hank couldn't agree more this time. That boy just wasn't worth it, he could see that now. The others would…

He stopped. What would the others do now?

**_Perhaps the others don't appreciate what you did for them, _**suggested the Voice. **_Perhaps you should leave them to do what they want._**

No, that wasn't right. He was their leader! They weren't safe without him. He had to help them, it was his job to help them, even if they didn't understand.

And deep down he knew what they would do. It was obvious enough from Sheila's initial reaction and the look of disbelief on Diana's face. They still though the Cavalier was their friend, and out of some misguided sense of loyalty and honour, they would go and look for him.

Are you sure? 

He hesitated. They probably would. Sheila would force them too; she was too kind-hearted for her own good. She would never be able to leave him behind. He should have seen that before. His lovely, trusting Sheila would be helpless without him, they all were. The only reason they'd succeeded at the Grotto was because that "Martha" woman showed up in time!

There wasn't really any doubt about it, the others would got and try to find that stupid Cavalier. They would, because they were good and Pure of Heart and couldn't see what a liability that boy really was.

Rage flared in Hank's chest again. The Cavalier did NOTHING! He didn't help he only hindered. How many times had they pulled him out of trouble? He was selfish, greedy, egotistical…why was he even BOTHERING to think about him at all?

There was a hot anger inside that seemed to overwhelm any other feelings, and Hank found it difficult to think straight. He had never really felt like this before, he'd kept it all bottled up. But now he loved the sense of release he got by venting his fury.

Why hadn't he ever done this before? It felt so Goddamn good to acknowledge the hate and the rage inside. The Voice knew what he wanted.

**_The others don't understand what you've done for them,_** the Voice reminded him eventually. **_Perhaps they should be left to…_**

A single image was in his mind: Sheila, his beautiful Thief. He cared about her as much as ever, but she was too trusting, and too oblivious to the dangers of the Realm. It was obvious to him what the Orcs would do next. They would use their prisoner as bait, to try and get the rest of the weapons.

And his friends would track the Orcs.

He knew them well enough to know that they wouldn't let the Cavalier go without trying to help. So he had to do something. He couldn't let them throw their freedom away on the Cavalier.

He couldn't let them get captured by the Orcs and dragged off to Venger. He couldn't live with that on his conscience. He might be capable of many things, but he wasn't capable of that. He had to keep them safe.

**_So, there was only one thing to do, _**said the Voice. **_You have to get rid of the Cavalier once and for all._**

Hank hesitated.

_**Your friends will track him. They might even find him. How much do you care about them?**_

How far would he go? There might only be one way to show them, once and for all. One way only. But could he do it?

_**After all that he's done; after all that he's put you through; aren't you angry enough to do it?**_

He might be. The anger inside was still bubbling like a cauldron. The Cavalier had caused this, he'd brought it on himself. And Hank was the leader, he had to keep the others safe.

**_Your friends need you to act,_** the Voice whispered. **_Can you let them down?_**

'No!' said Hank, pushing himself up. 'I won't let them down.'

He was the leader, the one they looked up to, the one who had to make the hard decisions for the good of the group. He had to save them from themselves, even if that meant killing the Cavalier himself.

* * *

It was easy to track the others. And how they managed to find the Orcs without him was a complete mystery. But it was so obviously a trap, and Hank could barely understand what had driven his friends to take such a stupid risk.

The Orcs hadn't gone far from the Portal. They were taking their time and had stopped to rest by a riverbank. The Orc Captain hadn't bothered to set a lookout and was too busy pawing the Cavalier's precious Shield to bother doing it himself.

The Cavalier himself was slumped against a rock, looking like he was asleep. There was blood and bruising across his face, but Hank couldn't help smiling. He looked terrible, and it served him right.

The Ranger hung back, out of sight, but close enough to see and hear what was going on. He could see the others on the far side of the trees, Diana might be able to blend in, but Presto always managed to look out of place, no matter how hard he tried.

After what seemed like a good deal of arguing, his friends finally attacked, and Hank watched as the Orc's were "driven" back by the simple show of force from the Barbarian and the Acrobat. The Captain dropped the Shield in its rush to retreat, and the other Orcs follow their Captain. Within a minute, there were none left.

The others came rushing up, straight to the injured boy's side. Presto pulled a short knife out of the Hat (working first time, it was obviously Presto's lucky day!) and tried to cut through the ropes.

The Cavalier looked up at the others and gave a bloody half-smile that made Hank feel sick with resentment.

'Thank God!' said the Cavalier thickly, letting his head drop onto Diana's shoulder. 'Thank God you're all OK.'

At his other side, Sheila tenderly began dabbing at the cuts along the Cavalier's face, in a concerned and motherly way that made Hank want to fine a Golden Arrow straight at the boy's heart. Presto managed to cut through the ropes and free the Cavalier. The boy groaned as he tried to move his arms. Hank smiled once more.

'You look like a raccoon,' said Bobby, being his usual sympathetic self. Both girls scowled at him, but the Barbarian just shrugged. 'Well, he does!'

'Where's Hank?' asked the Cavalier.

The others exchanged glances, but no one got a chance to reply.

The Orcs were back, as Hank knew they would be, and this time they knew exactly where to strike. Both Diana and Bobby moved to defence, as Sheila and Presto tried to help the Cavalier to stand, but he was in a much worse condition than they'd thought.

As the Orcs closed in and had obviously recognised the weakest link in the group. They made straight for the Cavalier, distracting the Barbarian and the Acrobat with feints and just pushing Presto and Sheila out of the way. The big Captain then grabbed the injured boy, holding him as if it was going to break his neck. The others froze where they were, too far away to help.

It only took Hank a second to decide. If the Cavalier was gonna to die, it WASN'T gonna be at the hand of some Orc!

He raised his Bow and fired in an instant, the golden arrow coiling round the Orc and pulling it back, and the Cavalier staggered, but didn't fall.

The Orcs regrouped, ready to charge at the Ranger, but they failed to notice the Magician speaking to the Hat.

"From somewhere in this great big place,

Bring things that like the way Orcs taste!"

There was an ugly crunching noise and everyone turned to look at Presto. Standing beside the Magician was a huge clawed monster, with five arms and a mouth filled with teeth like icicles. Hank shuddered, terrified that the creature would destroy them all, but it was staring at the Orcs with large dribbles of drool running over its chin.

The Orcs themselves were already running.

Hank let himself smile as he watched the creature chase Venger's servants, but his brief calm was replaced but burning anger as he looked back to his friends.

Sheila was standing close to the injured Cavalier with a look of utmost concern on her face. That sight more than anything else made Hank want to rip the Cavalier's heart out with his bare hands. How dare he even go NEAR her!

'Get away from her!' growled the Ranger, pulling an arrow. 'They're MY friends, not yours!'

The Cavalier's temper had not been mellowed by his time with the Orcs. In spite of his injuries, he was in no mood to back down.

'Why don't you stop being such an asshole, Hank!' he said with a sneer.

That was it! The Cavalier was gonna get it this time. He didn't need any Orc to do it for him.

Hank threw the Bow to the ground and ran forward, past his friends. The Cavalier was standing, but he had no Shield to protect him, and he didn't even try to defend himself.

The Ranger swung out angrily and the other boy just managed to pull back in time to avoid Hank's vicious right hook. Annoyed at having missed, Hank lunged forward, grabbing the Cavalier and forced him to the ground.

His opponent hit with a clunk and a pained groan, but made no move as the Ranger knelt down. The knife Presto had created was lying on the ground beside them and Hank grabbed it without a second thought. He lifted it high and somewhere behind him, someone screamed.

_He was going to do it!_

It felt so good to let all the pent up anger out at last. The Cavalier deserved it and was in no condition to stop him. All it would take was one thrust…

_**Get on with it!**_

The Cavalier was lying beneath him and, now Hank was close up, he could see exactly what the Orcs had done to their prisoner. The Cavalier had taken quite a beating, Bobby hadn't been kidding about the comparison with a raccoon, and judging from the blood, one of the Orc had managed to break the his nose too. He lay there, dazed and having trouble breathing, barely even aware of the last seconds of his life.

Hank faltered. He couldn't take advantage like that. It wasn't a fair fight anyway.

_**Why does it have to be fair!**_

He looked at his opponent. He was helpless, badly injured in the fight with the Orcs, a fight that Hank had gotten him into in the first place. He remembered looking down in shock as more Orcs appeared behind his friend. The Cavalier had been completely outnumbered. He'd stood no chance without help…

Why didn't I help Eric? He didn't deserve your help! 

_But he was my friend…_Hank stared at the small pool of blood that had formed on the ground beside the Cavalier. He was a friend, he deserved help when he needed it; he...

**_He deserved NOTHING of the sort, _**hissed the Voice in his ear. **_He never thought of anyone but himself!_**

But… that wasn't really true, now Hank tried to think about it. Ok, so the Cavalier had screwed up a huge number of times, but he did the right thing, eventually.

_**For the sake of your friends, you have to destroy him!**_

_But I don't want to…_

**_Destroy him! _**screamed the Voice, suddenly sounding desperate. **_Get rid of him once and for all and SET ME FREE!_**

_Free?_

**_SET ME FREE!! If it weren't for your conscience you, we would be HOME! I've waited for so long for you to listen to me! I'm not going back this time!_**

_Waited?_

_**If you weren't so righteous and conceited, you would know what's happened! I deserve to be free! You need me!**_

_I don't…_

_**You've won before; I came so close at the Dragon's Graveyard, but in the end you ignored me and let Venger live! Don't make the same mistake again!**_

At those words, Hank remembered the terrible, consuming anger that had driven him to take a stand against Dungeonmaster and try to destroy the Arch-Mage once and for all. He could remember standing in the Graveyard, holding the arrow that would have brought Venger's death. But instead, he set the Mage free. It was the right thing to do.

Inside he could feel anger, but it was far away, and was easy to control. When the Voice next spoke, its tone was pleading.

**_I am the part of you that remembers all the hurt and pain, I am the Darkness in your soul. The Voice grew harsh. And I want to be FREE! So, prove to yourself what you can do, and KILL HIM!_**

'NO!' he heard himself shout.

This time there was silence. There was no Voice to urge him on, and there was no burning anger and need for revenge. There was only the deep sorrow in his heart as he looked down at the boy who'd become one of his closest friends.

There was no Voice urging him on.

He was alone.

He had won.

And it was like he was waking up from a bad dream.

As the knife fell to the ground, the sound hurt Hank's ears. He was pinning an injured Eric down, more blood was coming from the Cavalier's nose. He saw the bruises, the cuts, the dent in the armour.

'What have I done…' he whispered. Inside his mind there was still the sullen, deafening silence. There was no Voice to provide words of comfort this time.

He looked round at the shocked faces of his friends and was engulfed with the feelings he had tried to deny: shame and regret. What had happened to him? How had he lost control like that? How had that Voice known how he would react? How could he have let himself and his friends down so badly?

He looked at them once again, and then down to the Cavalier on the ground next to him. They all deserved an explanation.

'I-I'm sorry,' he whispered.

The words jolted the others into action. Presto rushed up and grabbed the knife, hastily dumping it back in the Hat. Slowly, the others gathered round, but Hank noticed that neither Diana nor Uni got too close.

In faltering words, Hank told them what he'd done; how he abandoned Eric and turned on Diana. He told them about the Voice in his head, constantly encouraging him. What he didn't tell then was how good it felt letting his anger out and how close he'd come to swinging the knife down.

'By the end, I hated him,' continued Hank, not bothering to disguise the emotion. 'I-I wanted to kill him.'

'But you didn't,' said Sheila with a comforting smile. 'You stopped just in time.'

Just in time, with barely a heartbeat to spare. But he hadn't stopped in time, not really. He'd hurt Diana, he'd scared the hell out of Sheila, Bobby and Presto, and he'd let Eric be captured and beaten by the Orcs. How could he have let them down so badly?

'I don't know what happened to me,' he whispered. The Voice in his head had said it was the Darkness in his Soul, but perhaps it had lied. Was it really part of his own psyche? Was he really as dark and as dangerous as that?

'Perhaps you were possessed?' suggested Diana quietly.

Was that it? Had the Grotto enchanted him somehow? Was he possessed? But it sounded so real, and so familiar. He knew that Voice. He really had heard it before.

It knew how to get to him, how to manipulate him, how to get him to do exactly what it wanted. It had used his simmering resentment and anger, and directed it against the Cavalier. How did it know him so well, if it wasn't part of him already?

The questions were useless. The Voice had gone and it was over.

He looked round at his five friends. He'd caused a rift in the group, he wouldn't be surprised if no one trusted him again. But he couldn't let this continue. Separately, they would be easy targets for Venger. He had to make it up to them, right now.

Abruptly, the Ranger looked at Eric.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'This was all my fault. Can you forgive me?'

The Cavalier looked at Hank's outstretched hand for almost a minute before finally reaching out and shaking it.

'And you're gonna pay to get my armour repaired,' said Eric.

That seemed fair enough. The Ranger took a slow breath. Perhaps they could all get through this. Perhaps it would be OK.

Eventually.

* * *

The night was dark, and Hank was on second watch, until daybreak. He stretched, comfortably snuggled up against the tree. Tomorrow, they were going to the Forest of Dragons, to look for another Portal, just as Dungeonmaster had told them to. It was dangerous, but getting home was the important thing.

The thought of home was dangling in front of him like a golden carrot. He couldn't afford to miss another portal. There was no one he could talk to anymore; none of the others would really understand how he felt now, after all that had happened. He had to get home. He had to.

He closed his eyes.

_But I understand,_ said a tiny voice in the back of his mind. _And now you know the others are all safe, it wouldn't hurt to go take a look at this portal on your own…would it?_

Getting home, that was the important thing now.

_It wouldn't hurt just to take a little look…_

Hank opened his eyes, and smiled.

The End.

* * *

_**So if you ever feel neglected,  
**__**If you think that all is lost.  
**__**I'll be counting out my demons,  
**__**Hoping everything's not lost.**_

_

* * *

_

Author's Notes.

On Music.

You'll never guess which song inspired this…well, maybe you will: Everything's not Lost, by Coldplay.

On Snaffled Lines

The real line from Victor/Victoria is "Hello Richard, you look like a raccoon." And I've always wanted to use it.

On Inversions.

Well, as you all might have guessed from the general lack of updates for this story, it has not been as smooth and easy going as I had thought. The main problem was that my original plan for it just didn't work. It took too long, and Hank had to move too far out of character too quickly.

But there is one part that you might enjoy reading – what would have happened when Eric reached Venger's Keep. I've posted it at the same time as this last chapter. It is rated R for violence, and is rated for good reason, so you are all on your honour to abide by the rating system.


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